万花筒 2010-02-28&03-01 微笑吧，你会长命些（在线收听）

It is said that happiness is contagious. The supporting evidence is everywhere: from the streets of Rio during Carnival to more obscure celebrations elsewhere in the world. But long-term happiness may also be healthy. New York researcher Dr.Karina Davidson certainly thinks so. Dr. Davidson is a lead researcher in a 10-year study of more than 1,700 healthy men and women. The study revealed that people who are happy and content with their lives are 22% less likely than unhappy people to have a heart attack or suffer from symptoms of heart disease.

We know that there is a direct physiological impact on the body of experiencing happiness or satisfaction or enjoyment. So, when you sit and watch a movie, say, or read a book that you really enjoy, your stress hormones go down and something cultural barrier reflex system is actually up regulated. We know an animal study said those things across time actually protect the heart.

The observational study is the first to show an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease. But Dr. Davidson stresses that more work and clinical trials are needed before any treatment recommendations can be made. She says, though, that the study is the first step in providing doctors better insight and how to interact with their patients.

I think this may eventually shift healthcare providers to thinking about how we can help patients make sure that the things that make them happy stay in their routine. Because that is protective of your mental health for sure and this is one of the first studies to show it may also protect your physical health.

Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in most industrialized countries. Dr. Davidson says she hopes her report will shine a light on a new approach for prevention. Ben Gruber, Reuters.